Odontophobia | Fear of Dentists or Dental Care

(o-don-to-fo-be-ah)

What is Odontophobia?

Odontophobia is the irrational fear of dental care, most often exhibited as a fear of the dentist. This phobia is also known as Dentophobia. Some people suffer from this to such an extremity that simply seeing a dental image can cause distress.

This phobia is linked to other medical phobias such as the fear of needles (Tryphanophobia), fear of doctors (Latrophobia), and others (such as fear of hospitals, pain, etc.).

The root word 'dento' is Latin meaning 'tooth' or 'teeth' and the word 'phobia' comes from the Greek word ‘phóbos’ meaning 'fear.'

Causes of Odontophobia

Odontophobia is a specific (or “isolated”) phobia, centered on non-social key factors. Isolated phobias tend to have some previous trauma (often in childhood and often physically injurious) as a root cause; a fear of bees may stem from an injury in childhood, for instance.

Upbringing can also play a role, such as parental warnings about a direct threat (such as “snakes can bite and kill you”) which is especially notable in cases where a threat is more imminent. (An allergy to bees or peanut butter, for instance, would naturally reinforce a real medical concern.)

It is thought that genetics and hereditary factors may play a role in specific phobias, especially those related to a danger of injury. (A primal “fight or flight” reflex may be more easily triggered in those with a genetic predisposition, for instance.)

By contrast, social phobias (like a fear of body odor or touch) are less well-understood, are driven by social anxiety, and are broadly labeled as “social anxiety disorder”.

In all kinds of phobias, external experiences and / or reports can further reinforce or develop the fear, such as seeing a family member or friend who is affected. In extreme cases, indirect exposures can be as remote as overhearing a reference in conversation, seeing something in the news, on TV, or in the movies.

Odontophobia, like most phobias, stems from a subconscious overprotection mechanism, and as with many phobias can also be rooted in an unresolved emotional conflict.

Negative portrayals of dentistry or dental pain in mass media and cartoons may also contribute to the development of dental fear. Helplessness and perceived loss of control during dental treatment contributes as well.

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